I Don't Need Mistletoe
by Mekon
Summary: It's Christmas Eve, and there's a big Christmas party being held at Ash's house. Latias finds out what mistletoe is and is determined to catch Ash under it, but problems arise that prevent her from doing just that and confessing to her secret love. Will she ever be able to get her Christmas kiss and confess? (Set within the TBL universe) Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!


Disclaimer: All respective characters belong to Nintendo and Pokemon. Although if they would, I would love to get ownership as a present this Christmas!

Rating: T

Set within the TBL universe.

Summary: Latias wants to catch Ash under the mistletoe, but it seems that things are just not going her way. Set within the TBL universe.

**Picture Courtesy of Latiar027 on Deviant Art**

**(http)(:)(/)(/)(browse).(deviantart).com(/)(?qh)(=)(§ion;)(=)(&global)(=)(1&q)(=)(latias+mistletoe)(#)(/)(d4iftms)**

* * *

**I Don't Need Mistletoe**

_In the little town of Pallet, through all of the wintry snow, _

_all the people were living, their hearts all aglow. _

_The pokemon were cheery, the people much more, _

_to find themselves next to the other on the same floor. _

_This magical time, where the feelings of a heart can show,_

_is where we begin our tale: a red eon we all know._

It was Christmas Eve, and Latias was humming idly to herself as she stared up at the marvelously decorated evergreen fir tree that adorned the center of Ash's living room, wondering how in the world it could look so green even after being cut. She had never had any real Christmas trees back on Alto Mare as they had all been plastic, the weather not permitting any local growing of evergreens to thrive.

She touched the crisp pines of the trees, sniffing her hand afterward to take in the cool scent. It was a wonderful combination of the natural scents of the forest mixed with Ash's house. This would be the first Christmas she would spend with Ash and, hopefully, the first of many.

The red eon sighed happily as she thought of her trainer and secret love who she had been traveling with for some time now, having shared many adventures together. Battles had been won and lost, and lessons were learned and relearned. They had trekked from one end of the world to the other, literally, sharing the rare sights with their friends and pokemon while saving and helping people.

Now they were back in the little, rustic town of Pallet, Ash's home town, the place where he had grown up, and for some reason, Latias felt more restless here than anywhere else. Of course she knew the reason; her overpowering love for the young trainer was always there, only reinforced overtime as she stood by him. They protected each other and cared for each other through everything. Despite this, she had never garnered enough courage to confess her volumes of affection and love.

How was she supposed to even do it? How could she put into words the way she adored Ash when his face lit up at the simplest things such as a plate of home cooked food she had made? How could she form a worthy sentence for the light fluttering in her chest when they hugged or when he complimented her? What sort of gesture would relay the true depth of her love for the boy, now young man, who had bravely saved her all those years ago without any thought for his own safety? Was there even a suitable adjective for her to use to describe the way he looked when he transformed into his legendary Black Latios form to fight alongside her as an equal, a real partner? She didn't know.

"Latias? Hello? Earth to Latias!" a worried voice called out, breaking Latias out of her deep thought.

'Oh...year Dawn?' Latias answered slowly, her face a bit flushed from thinking too much about her trainer.

"You were spacing out again," the Sinnoh coordinator giggled, "Thinking about a certain _someone_ to kiss underneath the mistletoe?" Dawn took out a small plant from behind her back and promptly waggled it back and forth temptingly.

'Huh?' the female eon asked, blushing at the mentioning of "kissing", 'What's mistletoe? What does kissing have to do with it?' It was obviously some sort of plant, but Bianca and Lorenzo had never mentioned it to her before.

"Wait! You mean you don't know what mistletoe is?" Dawn asked incredulously, forgetting that Latias was actually a pokemon that was not used to many of the smaller, human traditions. The red eon simply shook her head in response. "Ooh! Okay. So basically, this plant is used as a sort of romantic situation creator," the blue-haired coordinator said with a knowing wink, "Whenever two people are under it, they have to kiss no matter what. It's probably the most famous romantic scene for all Christmas fairy tale love stories! Usually, the two people confess their love to each other without noticing they are underneath this plant, and then they look up. Then, they have to kiss because they finally noticed it hanging above them!"

Latias' overactive imagination was already going full steam ahead as she imagined herself and Ash standing underneath the special plant, her face going beet red as vivid images of herself kissing Ash passionately filled her mind.

"So I need your help to find a good place to hang this thing!" Dawn exclaimed with a grin, already knowing what Latias was thinking by the simple blush adorning her cute face. "I was thinking of hanging it over the archway in the living room, but maybe that's too open and obvious."

"Umm...how about the back porch?" she said with a small grin, a plan already formulating in her mind. Maybe she could do it: a confession underneath the sacred mistletoe and a perfect sealing kiss to finish it off, just like a fairy tale.

_A plant of joy, love and cheer, is set up for a kiss_

_that a loving dragon needs to achieve her bliss._

_For tonight, when the clock strikes at the one-two,_

_she wishes to meet there with her love so true._

_To show that in this world of plenty, there is not_

_another who so fully occupies all her thought._

The party was well underway, the sounds of joyful people talking and conversing with each other excitedly. Some were complete strangers and some were intimately familiar with one another. Regardless, they all held the same cheerful smile as they drank and parties to the Christmas season.

None of them were smiling as much as Latias was, however. She sat next to Ash on the couch, watching as Ash animatedly talked to Professor Oak about new strains of pokemon appearing overseas, some with strange new shapes and elemental compositions. It was nice just watching Ash with that level of excitement.

"Anyways I digress my dear boy. How are you and Latias doing?" Professor Oak asked suddenly, directing his attention and the conversation toward the disguised pokemon sitting next to Ash. The young man smiled, unconsciously wrapping an arm around Latias' side.

"She's been great! She's super strong, and I can always count on her for anything," Ash said with a genuine smile, "Even when times were tough, she always pulled through for me." Latias blushed at the high praise, snuggling a bit closer to Ash to convey her appreciation for his words.

'I can't take all the credit though. Ash has done a lot for me. Without him, I would never have gotten this strong. I owe everything to him. He's the amazing one,' she admitted freely, and this time, Ash flushed.

Professor Oak nodded in approval, simply observing the two. "I do say you two make a wonderful pair, always working together, always supporting one another. It's rare to see such harmony these days, even among people."

"Plus they make a wonderful couple!" Delia added with a carefree giggle as she waltzed by with refreshments, handing one of the drinks over to the professor, "I'm still waiting on grandchildren over here Ash! Hurry it up already! Latias isn't going to wait forever you know."

Immediately, Ash choked on his drink as his face flushed with a dozen darker shades of red, nearly matching the volcanic eruption of blood on Latias' embarrassed face. Ash's mother chuckled as she pattered her son's head reassuringly.

"MOM!" Ash yelled as he flailed around in his seat, his voice nearly breaking from the mortification her felt.

"What? A mother can dream right? I want to spoil your kids rotten!" she answered as she laughed into her hand, "Plus, your kids would be so adorable!"

"Hmm...it would be rather interesting. Since you two are basically human-pokemon hybrids, it could theoretically give rise to a new human race with an even deeper connection to the pokemon world," Professor Oak commented lightly and seriously, causing Ash to choke on air this time. Now both of them were talking about him have kids with Latias...right in front of him! It was not possible for his face to get any redder at the moment, and he didn't even want to risk looking at Latias, lest he loose circulation to the rest of his body because of his blood-stealing face.

Instead, he grabbed her hand and ran off and away from the two perverted adults who were seemingly set on putting them together for some reason.

"They really do make a good, little couple don't they?" the wizened professor commented as he watched their retreating forms with a approving nod, "I never imagined Ash would grow up so splendidly."

"Neither did I, and I think she's perfect for him."

* * *

They had escaped, ducking into the hallways where they could slip through the idle groups of people standing around with their drinks. Ash couldn't believe his mother had just walked in and said something like that! It was so embarrassing! Before it had been his underwear, but now it was something even worse!

"Sorry about that," Ash apologized with a disbelieving huff, checking around the corner to make sure his mother hadn't followed them around the corner.

Latias simply laughed, used to Delia's usual declarations and actions. She looked around, noticing that just further down the hallway was the sliding glass doors to the outside porch. This was her chance!

"Hey Ash? Do you want to get a little fresh air? It's kind of hot in here," Latias said a little inconspicuously, but it went unnoticed by the usually dense Ash. She was definitely nervous, and that constant fluttering in her chest became a gradually increasing pounding that resounded through her entire frame powerfully. She was pretty sure the sound itself was reverberating off of the walls of Ash's house.

"Uh...sure why not? I do like a little brisk, cool air every now and then!" Ash declared as he grabbed Latias' hand without hesitation, leading her further down the hallway towards the setup spot. This was it!

Suddenly, out of no where, a body threw itself onto Ash as the heavy smell of sharp alcohol filled the air.

"Ash! Buddy! How you doing on this absolutely wonderful Christmas Eve?" the slurred voice of Brock said, "Oh Latias! You look amazing tonight, please bare my children!" Latias shrieked as she smacked Brock for saying something so forward, and even Ash was just moments away from hitting his friend.

"Why!? Why is it always like this?" Brock suddenly lamented, crying into the skies as his mood instantly changed from happy drunk to sad drunk, "There's never a woman out there who wants me! Am I not good enough? Are my god-like looks not good enough? Does my golden-brown skin tone not please their desires?" Abruptly, he fell onto Ash, bawling his eyes out and staining Ash's dress shirt with salty tears.

The Black Latios grunted as he supported the older man's weight, glad that he had gone through extensive training or else he would have dropped the heavier Brock onto the floor.

"Brock? How much have you been drinking?" Ash yelled as he decided to levitate the man off of him, posing him in a straight-up manner as he lightly shook him in the air to get him to focus.

"A couple cups of egg nog, a few shots of whiskey, and maybe half a bottle of Christmas wine my father got me," he answered truthfully without hesitation, "But it doesn't matter! Because no matter how much I drink, women still won't go out with me! Am I forever fated to be single?"

"He's a rather unusual drunk isn't he?" Latias commented, frowning as her plans were interrupted. She sighed, knowing they could leave Brock in this state or else he would cause even more trouble than he normally did.

"I'll say. Who'd a thought he would be a mood-swinging one?" the Black Latios added with a little shake of his head, "He's even more bold than usual...and that's not a good thing."

"What should we do? We can't just let him roam around and cause havoc among the females. Who knows how many other women could get "assaulted" by his drunken state?" she said, knowing the high volume of females that hung around Ash.

"How about we just take him up to my room and lay him down there? He can rest there," Ash suggested, "I don't think my mom would be very pleased if he went around in this state."

"Oh no! Don't let my troubles hinder you now you two love dragons! Do not allow my state of despondency to prevent your wonderful love from blossoming! A man's bedroom should only house himself and his lover. You can't let me in there. It would spoil the entire mood. I know you two were headed up there already of course, and I give you my full approval," Brock rambled on, causing Latias and Ash to visibly shake in humiliation.

"We're not doing anything of the sort!" Ash yelled, his face looking as he was the one drinking that night.

"Oh c'mon Ash! Don't you want her? Isn't she like the most beautiful girl you've ever seen? You told me that one time!" the trainer continued, "It's a shame to waste such a golden opportunity like this! I can see it now. The snow falling around you as you two snuggle underneath the soft, warm blankets of Ash's bed as he delicately..."

Brock never finished his self-constructed fantasy because Latias had knocked him out with a quick blow to the head. That was a little bit too far for her!

"Good job Latias..." Ash breathed out with an uncertain shudder in his voice, "Let's bring him upstairs." She nodded without another word, afraid of what sort of noise would come out of her mouth that would unleash the sea of absolute and utter mortification hidden behind her.

Hauling the incapacitated man up the stairs in a not-so-gentle fashion, they dumped him unceremoniously on Ash's bed, covering him up like he was a recently deceased body. Latias sighed as she left the room and departed from Ash; she had missed her first chance of the night.

_The hazy fumes of the night's holy unrest gather_

_as the collected guests laugh and chatter._

_Love is not lost nor is it deferred from sight;_

_the dragon's resolve matches her might._

_She will have her time underneath the green_

_where she will declare her love to be seen._

The tell-tale signs of the clock striking its chimes ten times sounded through the house in the throes of the Christmas Eve party, alerting everything to the fact that the fateful day was only a mere two hours away. In the center of the living room, all the guests had gathered to pick out their one Christmas present to open on the eve of the actual day, a tradition.

The air was filled with excitement as people discussed what presents they wanted to open and from whom, hoping their gift was fitting and thoughtful, not a last minute gift card that anyone could pick out from the local pokemart.

"Alright everyone!" Delia called, as she orchestrated the beginnings of their annual "first pick" tradition, "Time to pick your first Christmas gifts! I'll start first." Naturally, Mrs. Ketchum picked out her son's present which held a simple Christmas scarf that had the words "World's Best Mother" stitched into it. Delia sighed happily as she engulfed her son in a tight hug, knowing he meant those words no matter how generic they were.

Thus they moved down the line. Dawn chose May's. May chose Misty's. Max chose May's. Pikachu chose Ash's. And Riolu and Kirlia chose each other's.

Finally, they came around to Misty.

"So whose present do you want to open first Misty?" Mrs. Ketchum asked with a warm smile.

"Hmph! Well that's easy enough. I have to open my best friend's gift," she said with a small blush, "Ash you had better have gotten me something good!"

The fiery red head crawled to the tree to sift through the large pile of presents. There were gifts from Ash to May, from Dawn to Pikachu, from Dawn to Piplup...but for some reason there was no "from Ash to Misty."

"Ehh? Ash! Where is my present?" Misty yelled, a small vein of anger appearing on her forehead, "Don't tell me..."

"Uh...hehe...about that...I had planned to give you the custom pokemon lure I had made, like the one you have me all those years ago...but when I was testing it out yesterday to make sure it worked...a rampant Gyrados kind of took it..." Ash explained in a small voice, cringing in the corner as he prepared for the beating he was about to receive.

Dead silence reigned for a few tense seconds as the sharp inhales of an irate water-type filled the room, preparing for her attack run.

"Ash..." a low and dangerous hiss called, the icy undertones of the voice promising pain and suffering.

"Run..." Pikachu, Riolu and Kirlia said simply as they hopped out of the way as a steamrolling Misty lunged for Ash's throat.

"Ack! I'm sorry! At least it worked really well!" Ash screamed as he scrambled to his feet and ran through the house, yelling for someone to come and save him, only to be answered by the happy laughs of his friends and family.

"Well while Ash is doing that," Mrs. Ketchum continued, her face holding its normally serene expression as her son's life was threatened before her eyes, "Why don't you go next Latias? Whose present do you want to open?"

Timidly, Latias could only answer with one possible name: Ash's.

Delia giggled but nodded as she pointed to the small package wrapped neatly underneath the tree. Latias pulled the small box over to her, testing the weight and jiggling it a bit to attempt to discern what it was before opening it.

"Go ahead and open it dear," Ash's mother encouraged, eagerly scooting forward to catch the first glimpse of Latias' reaction, "He spent quite some time looking for it."

Peeling away the thin wrapping paper carefully, Latias found a small, white box, clear on one side to display the contents inside. Gingerly prying the case open, Latias took out the gift Ash had gotten her, a small silver, aquamarine necklace shaped like a crescent moon. It was the first piece of jewelery anyone had ever given to her, and Latias' eyes filled with happy tears as she held the necklace close.

"That is a really beautiful necklace Latias!" May exclaimed with glee, clapping her hands together delightedly, "It really suits you!" All of the other guests agreed, commending the still running Ash for picking out such a thoughtful gift.

On his next run into the living room, grabbed her trainer, enveloping him in a tight hug as a wide smile adorned her face.

'Thank you so much Ash! I love it,' she said, rubbing her face affectionately against Ash to convey her gratitude. If she could take him out to the porch right now, it would be perfect.

Alas, it was not to be as Misty re-entered, spotting the necklace and her target sitting in the arms of Latias.

"ASH!" Misty screeched, her face furiously red as she ran forward at full speed, "YOU ARE SO DEAD!"

_A gift she has received from her amorous one_

_but in the present of firsts she has not won._

_The night grows dim and the candles put out_

_while the holiday sprout grows cold without._

_Her love has not wavered, not has it digressed_

_for she will achieve her goal in this test._

The night was coming to a close as the clock read eleven thirty, and Latias had yet to get anywhere close to her Christmas kiss. They were all sitting around the fireplace, even Brock, telling simple stories about their adventures, laughing at their mistakes and praising their achievements. Despite her plan's apparent failure, Latias could not be unhappy. This was what Christmas was truly about: being with those you love and sharing your time together.

Presents were nice, and decorations were a compliment. The food was a tradition, and the snow was a side character.

But this, that feeling of being with your family and simply holding them there with you, was what the real, true spirit of the holidays was all about. They were all family, despite their different backgrounds, lifestyles, thoughts and wishes. Support, love, care, understanding, hope and happiness. They were all the real presents.

Still, she couldn't help but have some wishful thoughts, and perhaps, Latias still have a chance to fulfill them. The night had not ended yet, but how could she initiate her plan?

"Oh that reminds me!" Dawn suddenly declared, "I left some stuff out on the back porch. Can you go and grab them for me Ash?"

"Uh...sure I guess," Ash answered politely, standing up to do his impromptu task, missing the wink Dawn sent Latias.

"Why don't you got and help him Latias?" Dawn suggested with a smirk, "I left a lot of stuff out there." The dragon's blush was hidden by the dark shadows of the room, but she did stand up to assist her trainer.

"Careful you two. Someone might think you're doing something suspicious...you two being alone outside and all," Pikachu said with a little grin, prodding his best friend forward, ignoring his protests, "Well hop to it then!"

Sighing, Ash could only drudge off in the direction of the sliding glass doors, bracing himself for the wave of winter cold he was about to run into.

"She probably left something like an entire tent of beauty products outside," Ash said to Latias with a joking smile, "I wouldn't be surprised if she carried an entire year's worth around with her actually."

The red eon laughed, forgetting that they were heading outside, alone, where the mistletoe had been specifically planted for her to advance.

Pushing the transparent doors aside, Ash and Latias stepped out into the desolate cold, shivering as they picked up the bags Dawn had so precariously left outside.

"I think that's everything right?" the Black Latios asked as he slung the pack over his back, looking around one more time to make sure that nothing had been left out in the cold or missed. Latias shuffled in place, glancing up, seeing that the chilled plant was still hanging there, simply waiting.

"Well...umm..." Latias muttered, looking away from Ash as her face heated up despite the cold air around her, "There's ….um...there's something I want to show you Ash."

"Oh?" Ash said with an interested expression, "What's that Latias?"

Internally, the red eon dragon was on pins and needles, fidgeting in place as she wrung her two hands together.

"Ash...Um...What do you think about me?" she asked suddenly, bowing slightly to avoid looking Ash in the face.

"Huh?" the boy said, completely caught off guard by the abrupt question, "What do you mean?"

"I mean..as a person...not as a pokemon," she said quietly, looking down at her feet in fear for what she would find on Ash's face, "We've been together for a while now...and I'm just wondering."

Ash smiled warmly, putting a hand on Latias' shoulder, pulling her head up so that she could look at him. He was blushing as well, and his entire frame was shivering, either from the cold or similar nervousness. However, his eyes held resolve and purpose. "I think that you're a...beautiful, wonderful person. You always take care of me and look out for me in everything. You're also strong and determined...and I'm really glad that I know you. I'm blessed."

Latias flushed crimson as her secret love said these things to her to boldly, accelerating her heart at an unprecedented rate while her face stole all of the blood in her body. Despite this, she felt warm and fuzzy inside and edged closer to Ash.

"You think I'm beautiful?" she breathed out, a small puff of cold smoke leaving her mouth, rising up to lightly brush against Ash's face. She grabbed his right hand and looked straight into his chocolate brown eyes, finding that warmth and safety she always felt when she was near Ash.

Abashedly, Ash nodded, looking away in embarrassed. "More than anything..."

Latias would have squealed in excitement, but it would have broken the mood. This was her real chance. She moved right up to Ash's face, holding him close.

"I think you're a wonderful person too. You've saved me from so much and are always thinking about taking care of others without thinking of yourself. I owe so much to you for taking care of me and helping me grow...not only as a pokemon...but as your friend too. You're someone I can always count on...which is why I...I fell in..."

"INTA OUR TRAP!" a sudden, cat-like voice yelled as a giant spotlight suddenly lit the two up in a bath of blinding light. Prickly, green arms suddenly burst out of the sky, grabbing Latias and Ash and holding them fast while breaking much of the back porch.

"Prepare for giving us gifts!"

"And no buts or if's!"

"To protect the world from Christmas greed!"

"To unite together all of our needs!"

"To denounce the evils of holiday joys!"

"To extend our loot of goodies and toys!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket comes here on this hollowed night!"

"Surrender now or prepare to fight!"

"Meowth! That's right!"

"Team Rocket!" Ash yelled, obviously identifying the intruders sitting in the giant Christmas tree mecha, "What do you guys want?"

"Well isn't it obvious?" James magnified voice said, "Pikachu is the top of our wish list this year! So would you please be so kind as to hand him over to us?"

"Yeah right!" the Black Latios yelled angrily.

"Ehh doesn't matter anyway! We already caught him obviously. Who else could be in the other Christmas Present Captor's branch?" Jessie yelled as she brought up the other arm to the cockpit level, "Well then Pikachu, will you go quietly?"

A dead silence reigned was all Jessie got, and it wasn't the pleasant sort either. It sounded like the silence before an imminent storm of absolute destruction.

"Huh? What's up Pikachu? Tree got ya tongue?" Meowth said with a gleeful cheer, "At least say somthin won't cha?" He opened up the enclosed hand to find a very, very, very angry Latias staring daggers at the cockpit. "Yikes! It looks like we caught the otha dragon!"

Latias was steaming. How dare they! How dare they interrupt her moment!

"UNFORGIVABLE!" Latias screeched as she transformed and slammed into the glass cockpit with all of her power, knocking down the machine as if it were a real tree going down in the forest.

"Ack! We're going down!" Jessie yelled, "Meowth do something!"

It didn't matter though, because Latias wasn't done. She attacked again, blasting the tree with a barrage of Dragonbreath attacks without mercy.

"MEOWTH! Did you forget to fireproof the outside of the tree!?" James yelled as he started running around the cockpit to avoid all of the heated metal surfaces. "AIYYEEE! It's hot!"

"Ya told me to make it seem like a real tree! So they wouldn't see us coming!" Meowth screamed as he was similarly bathed in Christmas fire.

"You idiot!" Jessie screeched as she ran around in a panic as well. Ash shook his head as he transformed and flew out of the machine's clutches, flying up to the irate Latias whose eyes looked like they could light the machine on fire by themselves.

"Are you okay Latias?" Ash asked, putting a concerned claw on his partner's wing. "It's just Team Rocket..."

"NO! I AM NOT OKAY!" Latias screamed as all of the night's frustrations finally caught up with her. "It was supposed to be special...and they ruined it," she cried. It would have been a perfect moment, a fairy tale-like ending to one of the best years in her life, and they had gone and completely destroyed it!

"We're sorry!" all three of the Rockets suddenly cried out in desperation as they were still trapped in the burning wreckage of their completely wrecked mecha. Latias didn't want to hear it and simply blasted them off with a Psychic attack.

"Argh! Team Rocket's blasting off again!" they yelled as their retreating forms winked off into the Christmas Star hanging overhead, leaving only Ash and Latias alone in the yard.

Latias sank down to the ground in sadness, turning back into her human form, pulling her knees together as tears fell from her eyes. She had been so close...and now...it was but a distant dream. The mistletoe lay in the wreckage of the destroyed porch, forgotten and useless, cut into various pieces, unable to fulfill her Christmas kiss.

Ash floated down to his friend and returned to his human form, enveloping her in a tight hug as he watched hot tears flow down her face for reasons he did not understand. "Latias? Are you okay?"

"No..." she croaked as she continued to cry into her knees, "It was supposed to be perfect..."

"What was?"

Latias glumly pointed to the decimated Christmas plant lying lamely on the floor, deciding to just tell him. "A Christmas kiss..."

Ash blinked as he looked back and forth from Latias to the plant for a few moments, trying to put two and two together. If he was there underneath the plant with Latias...then that meant..

He blushed as hundreds of thoughts ran through his mind as he grasped what she was talking about. But why? Was it possible that...

"Latias...look at me," Ash commanded softly, as he moved to kneel in front of weeping dragon girl, "C'mon Latias please?"

Slowly, her tear-stained face looked up into Ash's, illuminated by the soft moonlight overhead. For a second, he lost his breath, taking in the beautiful creature sitting before him with a face that should never be marred by tears of sadness.

"Please don't cry," Ash begged as he wiped away Latias' tears tenderly, pulling her into his chest, "Nothing has been ruined." He released her and looked down at her with a full smile.

"Yes it has...that was my chance to tell you that..." Latias began, but was suddenly caught off by the sudden warmth on her lips that silenced her, throwing her eyes wide open. Ash was kissing her, truly kissing her. She had to be dreaming, but the warm body she held in her arms told her otherwise. He was really there, holding her in his arms as he locked his lips with hers. It was real. More tears leaked from her eyes as she returned the kiss, trying to memorize the way he felt and the touch of his lips while an all encompassing heat enveloped her. She pulled him close, afraid that if she let go, he would disappear.

It was a chaste kiss, but it help a deeper meaning than anything she could imagine, a promise of what was to come.

But why? Why was he kissing her? There was no mistletoe. There was no Christmas kiss to give.

And sooner than she would have liked, it was over. He pulled away only slightly, his face only a few inches away from hers, his warm breath caressing her face as a smile spread across his face.

"I love you too Latias," Ash finally muttered with a full face blush, "And I don't need mistletoe to tell you that."

Her eyes widened to saucers, and before she knew it, she was kissing him again, relaying all of her feelings of love and adoration, those feelings that had taken her life and filled it with purpose.

"I love you Ash," she admitted, her face breathless and red, but beaming with a happiness that could only be caused by one person.

And then, the clock struck its chimes twelve times as they kissed again underneath the moonlit Christmas Night sky.

"Merry Christmas Latias."

_In the yard of the porch, under the moon's sky,_

_the duo dragon's spirits soar free and high._

_Their love was pure and their wishes the same,_

_and together they hold their love, the flame._

_The mistletoe hangs in the season of Christmas_

_but for the special kiss, it wasn't the cause._

_There was only one reason, for love was bright_

_that they could admit on that twenty fifth night._

_Merry Christmas_

* * *

A very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of my readers and friends who have helped me over the last two years!

Lot's of people have been asking for more romance, so here is some. The next TBL update will have quite a bit as well. Until then!

-Mekon


End file.
